Arkansas Medical Marijuana Cards Hit 118,752 — What the New ADH Portal Means for Patients
The Arkansas Department of Health posted 118,752 active registry cards on September 12, 2026. Recreational cannabis is still illegal. The only working door is the medical card — and the only working application is mmj.adh.arkansas.gov.
If you have been watching the Arkansas medical marijuana program, the number still jumps off the page. As of September 12, 2026, the Arkansas Department of Health listed 118,752 active registry identification cards. That is not a clinic’s marketing figure. It is ADH’s own count, posted on the agency’s medical marijuana hub.
A week earlier the same dashboard sat just over 119,000. Cards expire every day and new ones get issued every day, so the total moves. What does not move is the bigger picture: more than a hundred thousand Arkansans now hold a legal way to buy from a licensed dispensary, and the only door that still works is the state’s medical program.
This is a medical-only state. Recreational cannabis is still illegal. Home cultivation is still illegal. If you want to shop, you need an Arkansas medical marijuana card.
What portal do Arkansas patients use now?
For years patients wrestled with AMMSys. That old system is retired for new filings. The live registry is mmj.adh.arkansas.gov. If a friend still sends you an AMMSys bookmark, ignore it. New applications, renewals, and visiting-patient cards belong on the new site.
Create an account, confirm the email, and do not skip fields. ADH wants your Social Security number, your military status, a photo of your Arkansas driver’s license or state ID, and the official Physician Written Certification — not a clinic letter on fancy letterhead. Pay the $50 non-refundable fee with debit or credit. American Express is not accepted. Mail is still an option (check or money order, no cash), but online is the faster path.
Processing is up to 14 days from the date ADH has a complete file and payment. Incomplete packets get sent back, which is how people end up waiting a month. The portal is down for maintenance Sundays from 6 p.m. to midnight, so do not start a payment at 5:55 on a Sunday night and assume it went through.
ADH does not issue a temporary card while you wait. After approval, log back in and print the card. A hard copy is also mailed. Either the printout or the mailed card works at a licensed store as long as you also bring photo ID.
For a field-by-field walkthrough, use our step-by-step how to get an Arkansas medical marijuana card guide. If money is the question, the full card cost breakdown puts the $50 state fee next to typical doctor prices.
Who is actually on the Arkansas medical marijuana registry?
The FY2025 annual report still tells the condition story. PTSD is the largest share, around 35 percent of cards. Intractable pain is next, around 28.5 percent. Severe arthritis follows, around 11.7 percent. Those three pathways explain why so many search queries cluster around trauma, pain, and joints — and why a thin national clinic page that never names Arkansas’s list loses trust fast.
If you have been searching “does anxiety qualify in Arkansas,” the honest answer is no. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, migraines, ADHD, and generic “chronic pain” that has not met the six-month intractable-pain standard are not on the Amendment 98 list. ADH will not take write-ins on the physician form. There is a petition process to add a condition, and the department has 120 days to approve or deny.
U.S. military members and Arkansas National Guard members cannot hold a card. That bar is in the amendment, not a clinic policy. See the full qualifying conditions list before you book anything.
How much does an Arkansas medical marijuana card cost?
The state fee is $50 for a patient card, $50 for a caregiver card (per patient), $37 for a caregiver background check in most cases, and $50 for a 90-day visiting patient card. The doctor visit is separate. In-person evaluations around the state commonly land between $125 and $250. Insurance almost never covers the evaluation or the cannabis.
First-year cash outlay is usually the clinic fee plus $50, then product at the dispensary. Sales at licensed stores totaled $291.1 million in 2025, a program record. The first half of 2026 came in a little softer at $140.3 million, according to the Department of Finance and Administration — about 2.6 percent below the same stretch in 2025. Patient counts kept climbing anyway. That is the pattern of a mature medical market: more cards, slightly less dollars per visit, still no recreational alternative.
Read more on Arkansas medical marijuana laws if you want the medical-only frame in one place.
What should I do this week if I want a card?
- Confirm you have a qualifying condition on the official list.
- Book an evaluation with an Arkansas-licensed MD or DO. First-time certifications are done in person. Renewals can use telehealth. Start on our doctor booking page.
- Get the official ADH Physician Written Certification signed. You have 30 days from the signature to file.
- Apply at mmj.adh.arkansas.gov, pay $50, wait up to 14 days, and print the card.
- Take the card and photo ID to a licensed dispensary. In the Mountain View area that is Fiddler’s Green at 16150 Highway 9. Statewide, the program is capped at 40 dispensaries across eight zones, with about 36 operating in the first half of 2026. Browse the licensed dispensary directory.
The 118,752 figure is a snapshot, not a finish line. Cards churn. The portal does not. If you are starting from zero, start with the condition list and a real doctor appointment — not a national site promising a 100 percent online first-time card. That promise does not match Arkansas rules.
Already have a card that is coming due? You can start a renewal up to 60 days before it expires, and you will need a new physician certification. The old form cannot be reused. See how to renew an Arkansas medical marijuana card.
Frequently asked questions
How many people have an Arkansas medical marijuana card in 2026? The Arkansas Department of Health listed 118,752 active registry identification cards as of September 12, 2026. The number moves as cards expire and new ones are issued.
Where do I apply for an Arkansas medical marijuana card? Apply online at mmj.adh.arkansas.gov. The legacy AMMSys site no longer accepts new applications or renewals.
How long does an Arkansas medical marijuana card take? ADH may take up to 14 days after it receives a complete application and the $50 payment. Incomplete filings are returned. There is no temporary card.
Next steps
Disclaimer. This article is editorial content compiled from publicly posted Arkansas Department of Health, Medical Marijuana Commission / DFA, and Code of Arkansas Rules materials. It is not legal, medical, or tax advice. Fees, forms, telehealth rules, and store licenses change. Verify fees, forms, and your own eligibility on the live ADH site and mmj.adh.arkansas.gov before you file. Members of the U.S. military and Arkansas National Guard are barred from cards under state law as posted.
Last reviewed: September 14, 2026